A/N: I'll probably be heading out of town on Saturday for a few weeks, so I won't be updating until I get back.
"He's been here all night. Showed up around three and ain't left. I left and came back and he's still here!" Glasses explained.
Lugnut frowned at the scene before him. "Thanks for callin'. I'll take care of this." He crossed the bar to where Rocksteady was sitting at a table with three other men that were somewhat new to their part of town.
Rocksteady leaned on the table getting unnecessarily close to the guys. "Yeah, I used to be a rhino. Had a horn and everything. I was bigger and tougher than I am now." He snorted. "Gave it all up though for someone, but I'm startin' to think it wasn't worth it." His words slurred together and came out louder than they should have.
"Hey, Rock." Lugnut stepped up beside them and the three guys looked a bit relieved. They were already aware that he and his gang ran the area.
Rocksteady looked up at him and blinked. "Hey, Lugnut! I was just tellin' these guys 'bout bein' a rhino." He looked at the guys and jabbed a thumb at his old friend. "He knows! He'll tell ya!"
Lugnut frowned at his friend's drunkenness. "Yep, ya was a big gray rhino alright. Why don't ya come with me, Rock? We'll go see the gang. They'll be surprised to see ya." He took the empty bottle from his friend's hand and set it next to the other seven.
"Yeah, yeah! That's a good idea!" Rocksteady tried to stand, but he swayed a bit.
Lugnut caught his arm and pulled it over his shoulder. "Time to go, buddy." He half dragged half walked him towards the door. "I'll take care of tab later." He told the bartender as they left. They headed up the street to the pad they all shared, a top floor apartment in one of the old rundown apartment buildings that lined the streets here. "What's up Rock? I ain't never seen ya this plastered 'fore."
Rocksteady pulled away from his friend to lean against a cool brick wall. His legs quickly gave out though and he sank to the ground. "She don't need me no more. Worse, she lied to me!" His gaze dropped to the dirty cement. "I hurt 'er."
Lugnut stood frowning at his friend, trying to interpret the garbled information mixed with the slur. It took a solid minute before he understood. His eyes narrowed. "You hurt Sams?"
"I didn't mean ta. It was an accident." Rocksteady clenched his fists. "It was that stupid turtle's fault!"
Lugnut's frown returned. "What turtle?" Then it struck him, he was referring to the guy he'd seen Sams with a few months ago.
"She hooked up with one of those green freaks! And when I say hooked up, I mean hooked up-hooked up." Heartache flickered across his features. "She picked him over me! After everything I've done for 'er! And she lied to me 'bout it!" He dropped his face into his large hands, his head pounding.
Lugnut watched his old friend's moods flip-flop several times. He was obviously in bad shape. "Come on, Rock. Ya can crash with us for a while, till ya get your head on straight." He tugged him back to his feet and they started up the sidewalk again. Joey didn't resist. Maybe that's just what he needed, to be around familiar people that always accepted him for what he was – a screw up.
It was nearly three in the afternoon when Leo felt Samantha stir beside him. His eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at her. Slowly her blue eyes opened and he let out a relieved breath. "Hey, Sweetheart."
She smiled up at him and then lifted a hand to touch the lump on her temple. "What happened?"
"Joey accidently elbowed you. You've been out for more than twelve hours." He stroked her cheek, his expression reflecting the sorrow he felt. "I'm sorry, this was my fault. If I hadn't said what I did at the docks…."
Her eyes widened. How could he think that! They had made the decision together to keep their marriage quiet for a while. She touched his cheek. "No, this is our fault. We did this together." He leaned into her palm, closing his eyes and savoring its tenderness. A thought struck her and she looked around the room. "Where's Joey?"
Leo's frown returned. "I don't know. He took off after he found out and he hasn't came back yet." Fear marred her face and she started to sit up. Leo put his hand on her shoulder, keeping her down. "Don't worry. We'll go look for him. You stay in bed. I wanted to make sure you were okay before we left."
Tears welled in her eyes. "I hurt him." She said softly as they trickled down her cheeks. "What if he does something terrible?"
"He won't. He's changed." Leo brushed the tears away. "He's your brother. I know he cares about you. He'll forgive you. Because that's what brothers do." He let out a heavy sigh. "I doubt he'll do the same for me though."
She frowned. "He will, but it may take some time." He nodded and she slipped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close. A new worry was blossoming in his chest. What if Joey was so upset that she'd decide to leave with him after all? He shuddered. That was a terrifying prospect for him. He didn't just want her there anymore, he needed her there. "I'm not going anywhere." She said softly, turning her head to place a kiss on his cheek.
He leaned back to look at her with awe. "How do you do that? How do you always know what I need to hear?"
A tiny smile appeared as she met his eyes. "It's my job to know."
A warm smile stretched across his lips, before he pulled her close again. "We'll find him."
"Leonardo, where are we going?" Raphael asked as three of the brothers trudge through the sewer tunnel.
"Did Sams give you any ideas of where she thought he might have taken off to?" Mikey stopped as Leo started to climb a ladder to the surface.
He paused only a few rungs up. "Yes, and I think she's right. He would have gone to the only other place he felt safe." He started up the ladder again and pushed the manhole cover aside.
"And where's that?" Raph climbed out followed by Mikey.
"To his old gang."
Mikey frowned. "Do you know where they're at?"
Leo frowned as well. "Not exactly, but I do know where to start."
A few minutes later they stepped through the door of the Corner Pub. Glasses looked up, frowning at the three turtles in trench coats. He recognized the one leading them. "Ain't you caused enough problems?"
Leo looked around, but didn't see Joey anywhere. He looked back at the bartender. "Where is he?"
Glasses snorted. "Why should I tell you? From what I gathered, you're the reason he was here drinkin' in the first place."
Raphael pulled a sai stepping closer to the bar. "Tell us where he went or I won't be nice about it."
Leo put a hand on his brother's arm, staying his advance. "I just want to talk to him. That's all."
Glasses eyed the sai and the red-banded turtle. "Lugnut came and got 'im."
"And where'd he take him?" Mikey asked from behind the others.
Glasses didn't answer and Raph took another step forward. "Where?"
"Fine." Glasses figured if these guys wanted trouble with Lugnut's gang, then they could have it. There being only three, they'd probably get their butts handed to them. "They crash at the apartment building down the street on the left. You'll know the one, his guys hang around outside."
"Thanks." Leo said in a calm voice.
"I ain't doin' it for you. I'm doin' it for her." He sighed. "He was in bad shape when he left. I don't want to see Cupcake hurt."
"That's why we're here." Leo turned and led his brothers up the street. The apartment building was easy to spot just like Glasses had said. Five thugs were lounging on the steps.
The men looked up as the three came to stop in front of them. One of the guys gave them a cold look. "Keep movin', freaks."
"Is Rocksteady here?" Leo had been calling him Joey for so long that it felt kind of strange using the old name.
A man close to the door stood. "Who's askin'?"
"Is he here or not?" Raph quipped.
Leo shot him a look. He wanted to keep this peaceful. Sighing, he looked back up at the man. "We just want to talk. Tell him Leonardo's here."
The man frowned and glanced at a teenager. The boy went inside, only to return a few moments later with Lugnut. The older thug glared at Leo, folding his arms. "Whatever ya gotta say, say it to me."
"I just want to talk to him. Sams is worried about him. At least let me see him, that way I can tell her he's okay." Leo reasoned.
Lugnut eyed Raph and Mikey. "Just you."
"What!" Mikey gasped. He grabbed Leo's arm. "No way! You can't do that, bro."
Raph nodded. "Yeah, anything could happen to you in there."
Leo met Lugnut's gaze. "No, they won't hurt me. Sams used to live here. If they hurt me, that would only hurt her." Lugnut gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Leo turned to meet both his brothers' eyes. "Stay here."
"But Leonardo…" Mikey protested as their leader followed Lugnut inside.
Raph set a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be okay." He shot the thugs on the steps a hard look. "He'd better be."
Inside, Lugnut lead the way up the stairs to the top floor. He paused on the landing to scowl at the turtle. "I don't know exactly what happened yesterday. I ain't been able to get the full story out of 'im. But last night he got pretty wasted. He's been sleepin' most of the day. Get this straight, turtle. You try anything and I'll throw ya out the window. Got it?"
"I have no intention of causing problems. I'm here for Sams."
Lugnut frowned, averting his gaze for a moment. "How is she? He said somethin' 'bout hurtin' her."
"She woke up a couple hours ago. My brother is staying with her. It may take a few days, but she should be okay." Leo could still feel his own guilt over the incident, even though it had been an accident.
"Good." Lugnut muttered. He turned and opened the door into the large apartment. Leo followed as he crossed the room to an old mattress on the floor. Lugnut nudged Joey with the toe of his boot. "Yo, Rock. Ya got a visitor."
Joey slowly sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He frowned first at Lugnut then at Leo. "She okay?" Joey asked and Leo nodded. He scowled. "So, what do ya want then?"
Leo removed his hat so he could be more easily seen. "I want you to come back with me. Sams is worried about you."
He snorted, leaning back against the wall. "She don't need me. She's got you. Ain't that right?"
Leo sighed. "She does have me. But that doesn't mean she doesn't need you too. You're still her brother." Leo felt the tug of guilt. "Look I'm sorry for what I said at the docks. She is primarily my responsibility now. But she still wants – needs - you as part of her life. She'll never be happy, if she thinks you hate her."
Joey's gaze burned with anger. "I don't hate her. I hate you!"
Leo had expected that. "Joey, it was never our intention to hurt you. She wanted to stay with me. We both figured you wouldn't go for that."
Joey glared. "So, ya thought marryin' my sister would make things better?"
Leo's hand went to the ring around his neck. "It may never be legal on the surface, but it is real. I love her and she loves me. I will never apologize for that." He sighed again. "We thought this would make it easier for you, when it was time for you to leave."
"Easier!" He growled, coming off the floor. Leo was caught off guard when Rocksteady slammed a fist into his face. Leo took a few steps back out of range. But he didn't retaliate. On some level he'd deserved it. Joey jabbed a large finger at him. "The only reason I ain't poundin' ya into the ground right now is 'cause Sams would never forgive me!" He ground his teeth. "She picked you over me, ain't that what ya wanted!" He turned and stalked off towards the window. "Just leave!"
Leo pressed a hand to the side of his face. "I can't. She wants you to come back. And if you being there is what makes her happy, then I want you to come back too."
Rocksteady huffed, keeping his back to Leo. Sams was trying to make things easier on him. She was still trying to take care of him. They were right to think he would have demanded she leave with him. As a matter of fact, that was the reason he'd decided to hook up with his dad in the first place. He'd wanted to take her away from Leo, away from the sewers. But she apparently truly loved Leo, if she was willing to go to such lengths to stay with him. He couldn't be angry with her for wanting to stay with someone she loved. But the sting of betrayal was still there.
"Come home with us, Joey. She really wants to see you." Leo pleaded.
Joey let out a heavy breath. "No. I can't."
Leo frowned. "If you don't, she's going to be very upset."
"I know. But I can't." He shot the turtle a hard look over his shoulder. "You're just gonna have to deal with it. Like you said, she's yours now."
Leo made a face at his words being twisted like that. There was little he could do though, if Joey didn't want to come back with them. At least he'd seen him and could tell Sams he was safe. "Would you at least call her? I know she'd be grateful to just hear your voice."
"I'll think about it." Rocksteady felt a little guilty for running out on his sister again. But he couldn't face her – not yet. Leo gave a small nod and turned to leave. "Tell 'er, I'm not mad at 'er. I just…I just need some time to clear my head."
The blue-banded turtle gave another sad nod. "I will."
When he was gone, Lugnut put a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder. "Ya know ya can crash with us as long as ya need. But at some point, you're gonna have to talk to 'er."
Joey frowned, watching Leo exit the building to meet up with two of his brothers. "I will, just not today."
Don chuckled. "You're not bad at this."
Sams smiled a bit. "Joey always said I had a good poker face." She set down her hand of cards so he could see her straight flush. Then she frowned a bit at the thought of her brother.
Don put a hand on her shoulder. "Leonardo won't give up until he finds him."
She let out a forlorn breath. "I know." But will he come back with him is the question.
The sound of voices alerted them to the others returning. Don looked towards the entrance of the common area of the bedroom. When he spotted Leo, he knew right away that Joey had not come back with them. Leo stepped up into his alcove and Don picked up the cards spread across the bed. Standing, he met his brother's gaze. "Remember to keep her awake." Leo nodded as he left.
Sams frowned up at him. "He didn't come back with you, did he?" She touched his cheek as he sat beside her. "Did he do this?"
Again he gave a small nod as he took her hands. "I did see him though. He's alright. He was with Lugnut."
She took some comfort in that knowledge at least. He was safe, but he didn't want to come back. "He's mad at me. Not that I can blame him. I did lie to him."
Leo squeezed her hands. "No, he said to tell you he's not mad at you. He just needs some time to think." She gave a small nod of her own and he wrapped her tightly in his arms. She immediately relaxed, drawing in his scent. "He's got to work things out. He has to learn to accept things. I had to learn to accept him as your brother. Now he's going to have to learn to accept me as a permanent part of your life forever. " He kissed her brow. "Because I'm not going anywhere ever."
She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against it. "Thank you for trying." She knew it had to grate at his pride to go and ask Joey to come back. But Leo had done it without question and without hesitation. Which only made her love him more. She'd give Joey the room he needed, but she hoped that didn't give him time to also fall back into old habits. Lugnut's gang would be influential, but not necessarily in a good way.
Leo finally sat back, his gaze falling on the knot on her left temple. "How's the head? Are you feeling any better?" The knot was now a large purple and black splotch against her pale skin.
"It's okay. I had a headache, but Donatello gave me something for it. Now, other than it being a bit sore, I feel fine."
He ran his fingers through her soft curls. "Do you feel like eating? Michelangelo insisted we bring back dinner."
Sams smiled at the amusement in his tone. "Yes, I think I could eat a bit. But could we eat at the table, I'm tired of being in the bed."
Leo frowned, then nodded. "Okay, but if you need to rest, you'll tell me?"
She nodded. "I promise." Leo surprised her when he scooped her into his arms and started for the kitchen. He wasn't going to let her walk with her head injury. She sighed softly, resting her head on his shoulder. Leo always managed to make her feel so safe. Lifting her head, she kissed his cheek. "I love you."
His small smile grew. "I love you too."
"Hey, how are you feeling, dudette?" Mikey asked as Leo set her in a chair.
She offered him a warm smile. "Better."
Raph frowned. "Sorry, we couldn't get 'im to come back. But I could always drag 'im back here, if you want."
"No, that would only make things worse. As long as I know he's safe, I can let him be. And if he's with Lugnut, I know he is."
A/N: If you're liking the story let me know! XD
